Design Principles: Final Project Visual Analysis
26/10/21 - 23/11/21 (week 11-week 14)
Darren Liga // 0351480 // Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Design Principles
Final Project: Visual Analysis
LECTURE
Visual Analysis
-Is a method of understanding design that focuses on the visual
elements and principles.
-In its strictest definition - a description and explanation of visual
structure for its own sake.
-Yet the purpose of visual analysis can also recognize the choices that a
designer made in creating the design, as well as to better understand how
the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content, or meaning.
Fig 1.1: Visual Analysis
Visual analysis is a critical part of visual literacy, a skill that helps
people read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on social
media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news.
As citizens of the 21st century, we are constantly confronted with visual
media. Practicing visual analysis sharpens critical judgment skills and
helps people seek out answers instead of passively receiving information.
How does Visual Analysis work?
Visual analysis can include 3 phases:
- Phase 1: Observation
- Phase 2: Analysis
- Phase 3: Interpretation
Phase 1: Observation means closely looking at and identifying the visual
elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in
your own words. Do not read beforehand about the design at all. The
observation phase is about looking, thinking, and finding good language to
communicate what you notice.
Phase 2: Analysis requires you to think about your observations and try to
make statements about the work based on the evidence of your observations.
Think about how the specific visual elements that you've identified combine
together to create a whole, and what effect that whole has on the viewer.
How your eye is led through the work and why? Apply the Design Principles
knowledge you have learnt throughout these weeks.
Phase 3: In this final phase, your observations, description, and analysis of
the work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some cases the
designer) and historical context that you find in trustworthy published
sources. What is the meaning of the design? What was the purpose for it to be
created?
Example:
Fig 1.2: Sample artwork
Phase 1:
This design work is in portrait format. As for visual elements, the main
colors observed are red, magenta, green and yellow. Overall, it is a colourful
design. There are swirly, organic lines applied throughout the composition.
The border is created by thick black lines. There are words at the top of the
design and numbers on the middle right of it. At the centre, an image is
featured.
Phase 2:
This design is symmetrically balanced. The emphasis is on the
central image - the face of a woman - rendered in the brightest hue, looking
back at the viewer. She is holding a snake. The snake's coiling body
(movement) leads one to read the words at the top, International
Lille Tattoo Convention. The snake's fangs are close to her exes whirl
beinbithe focus, theo/acimbeone pans across her face aligned the
right. A repetition of flowers and leaves is found from the middle to
the bottom of the design. There is unity in the overall composition
as the objects are arranged in a way that complement one another. There is
proportion in the layout, creating hierarchy - first, we see
the image in the biggest size, followed by the slightly smaller words.
Phase 3:
This is a poster designed for a tattoo convention in Paris, France, which
was held from 17-19 January 2020. I find the illustration style reflects
that of Art Nouveau, a historical European design style of the 19th
century (Bouillon, 1985). As Paris was one of the centres where Art
Nouveau flourished, it is apt that this style is incorporated into this
poster design because this tattoo convention was also held in Paris.
Besides cultural implications, tattoos are also a form of art. This poster
which is designed in a highly decorative manner not only reflects the
artistry of Art Nouveau but reminds one of the artistic freedom of the
times.
INSTRUCTION
There is 2 parts for this project
Part 1: Visual Research
- Select a design of our choice
(poster/billboard/illustration/etc.)
- Conduct a visual analysis of the design in about
500 words
Part 2: Design
- Produce a work of design, in A4 or A3 size,
inspired/influenced by the design i have analyzed, or as
a reaction to it.
- Write a 150-200 word rationale for my
design.
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Part 1: Visual Analysis
Fig 2.1: Artist of choice
Fig 2.2: "The Creation by Alessandro Malossi"
Phase 1:
This minimal artwork is in a portrait format. The colors used in
this artwork is dominantly grey with a shade of brown. Overall, it
is a very minimal artwork design which uses a lot of negative
space/white space to structure its minimalist nature. The main
subject is seen holding a cigarette and gets cropped in by the
side borders because it is in portrait orientation.
Phase 2:
This design is balanced symmetrically due to the
"weight" of the subject equal on both sides. Theres
contrast present in this artwork as well between the
hands holding the cigarette butt, and the light colored
cigarette. There is sense of direction in the composition which
makes the viewer directed towards the center of the frame due to
the repetition and movement of the hands facing the
middle, and being repeated again in the shape of the cigarette
ash. The design is oriented in portrait to have a large
breathing room on top and below and to give a slight context by
showing the fingers of the subject holding the cigarette. This
also tends to have an impact to our visual perspective by
creating an imagery of somewhat being packed and claustrophobic
due to the supposed to be horizontal oriented hands being
cropped in and making it portrait. Unity cant be
left out from this artwork, as it is present from the balance of
2 objects from left and right. There is not any text in this
artwork. A deeper meaning may be occurring in this artwork in my
opinion, it may be a principle of visual hierarchy. Having the 2
main subjects (the fingers) holding the cigarette, while the ash
seems to form a shape of 2 other hands with their fingers
touching may indicate hierarchy visually, in english literary a
term named "mise en abyme".
Phase 3:
The artist states "I started making art since I was a child, by
vocation. I always thought that we should always try to find inspiration
where inspiration doesn't seem to be and we are not afraid to create
something unusual." The artist didnt disclose the exact time this
artwork was released but seen from his works, this is one of the few
artworks that he made a physical painting of which is sold on his
website.
In my opinion, this one is the artist's milestone in his career, this is
because the artist uploaded in social media several times about this
particular artwork. This artwork, "the creation" symbolizes his style
and passion from the quote i stated, in my opinion i couldn't think of a
deep meaning towards this artwork, but in my opinion, since it is 2
people smoking together with the ashes touching in "the creation"
artwork with the ashes, i think that the artist's intention is to create
a funny parody artwork that would relate to his lifestyle. Another
possibility is the artists intention to use cigarettes to symbolize
connection and social lifestyle by smoking, an idea of "smoking connects
people" in a form of art.
Artwork Development
I wanted to create something that would be inspired by Alessandro Malossi's
"the Creation". Having a balance of 2 subjects, tons of white space to
exaggerate minimalism, and also the use of contrast to be eye catching that
visually appealing.
I then made a sketch
Fig 3.1: sketch
Unlike malossi's artwork which in my opinion is a contemporary modern parody
artwork that almost has no meaning, i would like to create an artwork with a
deeper sense of visual communication.
I started by using hands to create a similar effect of that "human connection"
idea, followed by the orientation and the white space used.
I wanted to create an artwork that would tie several design principles taught in this module that works together as a whole subtly but effectively in a way that doesn't seem to be forced and not "slammed" together in an artwork brutally.
Fig 3.2: hands outline
I wanted to create an artwork that has meaning to it, while also having a
subtle parody and fun twist to it. For this artwork, the hands i use is from
nokia's logo.
Fig 3.3: nokia logo
After selecting the hands, i then processed the image to fit the meaning of my
artwork and also using some photoshop tools to further implement the effect.
Fig 3.4: Development
I then came up with this final composition
Fig 3.5: Composition
Final Visual Analysis Artwork
Fig 4.1: "the help"
Rationale
For this artwork, it is seen that there is 2 parts of the composition, the
lighter top part and the darker bottom with the top part weighting more
contrasted with the bottom part. Light and dark, hands, its about human
connection, those in the light is seen to be helping those in the dark,
although most of the times from my observation its all just for show. To gain
connection and good portrayal of imaging, creating an illusion of
humanitarianism working in conjunction with the contradicting nature of
humans. Having a clean and white image. This artwork digs deeper than just
from the hands, the lower dark part of the artwork may also be a symbol of
oppression from the advantaged white top area, having a sense of pressure. I
interpret this meaning by using weight between the white and dark, putting
more white space on top and crooked smudge dark space below. This is also
working in conjunction with the hands i've altered. The hands below is seen to
be smudge and blur while gradually becoming thinner and less saturated below,
showing a dark shallow effect.
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Reflection
I learned a lot of new approach on how to construct a visual artwork. I had fun dissecting and analyzing the artworks i've chosen. I have an idea now how this assignment could help me out in the real world and how a lot of the idea and thinking process goes. This is one of the few assignments that were more flexible in terms of the artwork, as Dr. Charles gave us the freedom to choose any artwork to analyze, and also the freedom to recreate the artwork with any style.
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